Lou and Peter Berryman
Encyclopedia
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singers-songwriters
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. They are longtime residents of Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and tour the United States extensively.
Lou (for Louise) and Peter were married at one time—hence the common last name. They divorced, but remained friends and musical partners. (And, subsequently, they married again to new spouses.) Mostly, Peter writes the lyrics and Lou writes the music, but all their songs are collaborations.
They specialize in songs that make humorous observations about the human condition. For example, "A Talk With Your Mother" is about a parent horrified by her daughter's cursing. And "Orange Cocoa Cake" presents another mother attempting, on the phone, to tell a friend a recipe while her children demand her attention.
The Berrymans release their work on their own label, Cornbelt.
In 2004, a musical revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
Love is the Weirdest of All: The Music of Lou and Peter Berryman premiered at the Madison Repertory Theatre.
Valdy's single "A Chorus For Peter and Lou" was written about them by Craig Wood when the two had a sojourn in Canada during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Discography
- No Relation (1980)
- Cupid's Trash Truck (1981)
- So Comfortable (1984)
- February March (1986)
- Your State's Name Here (1988)
- Forward Hey (1988)
- Cow Imagination (1990)
- We Don't Talk About That! (1992)
- What, Again?! (1993)
- Double Yodel (1995)
- Some Kinda Funny (1998)
- House Concert (2000)
- Yah Hey (2002)
- The PINK One (2003)
- Love is the Weirdest of All: The Music of Lou and Peter Berryman (2004)
- Some Days (2005)
- The Universe: 14 Examples (2007)
Songbooks
- The Berryman Berryman Songbook (1984)
- The New Berryman Berryman Songbook (1989)
- Frescoes and Bowling Balls (1996)